


city street lights (like the stars in your eyes)

by serenitysebaeks



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, New York City, school field trip, single dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 02:18:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16864348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenitysebaeks/pseuds/serenitysebaeks
Summary: It's always just been Jongdae and his daughter. What Jongdae doesn't know when he agrees to chaperone for the school field trip is that he might meet someone who changes that.





	city street lights (like the stars in your eyes)

_Okay, groceries, check. Call Baekhyun about dinner, check. And…_

Jongdae went through his mental checklist once more as the middle school came into the view. He turned into the entrance and got in line behind the cars in front of him, full of more tired parents that were there to pick up their kids. Jongdae took a sip of his coffee, set it back into the cup holder next to him, and sighed.

_Pick up Ellie, check._

He scanned the entrance of the school that was currently filled with at least 50 young teenage students waiting to be picked up. He noticed his daughter next to her friends and drove farther down the line as kids got in their cars and left. Ellie noticed Jongdae’s car and turned to her friend to say goodbye before making her way towards the car, backpack weighing her down and violin in tow.

Jongdae smiled as she opened the door and placed her things in the backseat before sitting in the front seat next to him.

“How was school?” Jongdae asked the infamous question as he kept his eyes on the road, maneuvering out of the line of cars and making his way to the exit to head back to their apartment.

“Mr. Do hates me, Dad,” Ellie whined and Jongdae chuckled, taking a glimpse at his daughter lovingly as he took another sip of coffee and turned onto the road back home, sighing again. 

“Really, coffee at 4 o’clock in the afternoon?” Ellie said jokingly and Jongdae whined. In his defense, work that day had _not_ been a breeze. But he laughed after as he realized that they both definitely shared their complaining skills.

“What did your teacher do now?”

And Ellie began to rant about his history teacher who had assigned _even more_ homework and had given Ellie a lower grade on her essay than she had expected while Jongdae listened. He couldn’t help but agree that yes, that teacher might just be one of the strict ones, and his daughter certainly didn’t like teachers not valuing her as high as he was used to.

They arrived at their apartment building and the two carried at least four grocery bags each as they ascended the stairs to the top floor. Jongdae wasn’t subtle as he cursed under his breath about _why are there so many fucking stairs-_

“Dad, you’re being a bad influence,” Ellie called from the top of the last flight and unlocked the door, opening it to reveal their home sweet home.

Jongdae shuffles in with a mutter about how it’s because she’s young that she can deal with the stairs and she laughs as they start to unpack the groceries and put them away.

“Oh, Dad, I wanted to ask you something,” Ellie started when they finished, walking to her bag that was thrown onto the floor by the couch, beginning to rummage through it for a folder.

“Why am I worried?” Jongdae joked as he finished his coffee. Ellie rolled her eyes at her dad as she walked over with a paper, handing it to Jongdae.

He scanned through it and made a small noise of surprise at the details.

“A field trip to New York City, well aren’t you lucky?” Jongdae asked, looking at his daughter who was giving him a small smile.

“I was wondering if you wanted to chaperone,” She said sheepishly and Jongdae raised his eyebrows. Ellie had never wanted him to chaperone for field trips and Jongdae had always been fine with it before.

“Why now?” He asked, setting the paper down on the table. Ellie had turned and opened the pantry door to pull out a snack.

“I wanted to see New York City with you,” She said again, turning around and lowered her voice. “Isn’t that where you met Mom?”

Jongdae looked down at the coffee cup he was still holding and thought it over. He had always felt that the less he heard or thought of Ellie’s mother, the better. She had had Ellie but her and Jongdae ended up disagreeing over too much that it escalated into arguing and fighting enough to the point where she left without a warning or care for her daughter. Jongdae had moved him and Ellie both to the suburbs and even though he didn’t want to, he still missed his mother at times.

“You can tell me stuff from before, you know,” Ellie continued but Jongdae didn’t want to be reminded anymore at that moment.

“Yes, Ellie, I’ll chaperone. It sounds like fun,” He nodded and he relaxed, flashing her a smile. He watched as the corner of her lips turned up just like Jongdae’s own lips did and felt a proud rush for his daughter.

“Go do your homework now,” He said and she nodded, turning to pick up her bag and go to her room.

“Are Baekhyun and Chanyeol coming for dinner?” She called back as she reached her bedroom door.

“Yes and they’re bringing the twins!” Jongdae said and laughed as Ellie turned and smiled before closing the door.

✦✦✦

“We’re here!” Baekhyun sings through the house as Jongdae opens the door and he immediately breaks into a smile. Baekhyun might be the definition of a hot mess parent, but at least he was funny while he did it.

Chanyeol entered after Baekhyun and nodded at Jongdae as he closed his apartment door. Both men were carrying a toddler each and Ellie immediately ran out of her bedroom to stand besides Jongdae as she began to coo at the young boys who smiled at him, voice going higher as she slipped into baby talk. Baekhyun bent down and set down the toddler he was holding on the ground, watching as he made his way to Ellie with a happy cry. She giggled and picked him up to carry him into the living room.

At that moment, Seojun, who was in Chanyeol’s arms still, whined as well and held out his hands for Ellie and everyone laughed as she walked over and took him by the hand once Chanyeol had set him down. After the kids had left, Jongdae led the two to the dining table on the other side of the room.

“They really like Ellie, don’t they?” Baekhyun laughed and Jongdae smiled. Baekhyun and Chanyeol had been a couple for a long time but they had only just decided to adopt months ago and now had twins to take care of. Jongdae could see the same love in Baekhyun’s eyes towards his sons that he knew Jongdae had for his own daughter. The two made good parents, and Jongdae was happy for them.

The dinner was largely small talk surrounding a mixture of foods that Baekhyun had made despite Jongdae asking him not to. Compared to being in high school, adult life had left Jongdae with few friends between work and taking care of Ellie. Baekhyun had been his college roommate and they had promised to look out for each other and Jongdae had spent nights with him talking about Chanyeol back when they were only dating and had supported him since then. It was funny, how times had changed so quickly.

“New York City, then?” Baekhyun asked him when they were done eating and were just talking.

“Yeah, I guess I’m going to have to go. I’m happy Ellie mentioned it to me the way she did though,” Jongdae said and Baekhyun nodded.

“We can only hope the twins love us as much as he loves you,” Chanyeol said and Baekhyun nodded. Jongdae could see worry in his eyes and he immediately began to comfort him.

“You guys have been great parents for the twins so far. Me and Ellie have just gone through a lot,” Jongdae said and his voice had lowered. It was true. Ellie had been only four years old when her mother had left and it had made Jongdae’s heart break when she had asked innocently why her dad was crying for the year afterwards.

The three parents looked over at their kids in the other room who were oblivious to the turn in the conversation the adults had, too busy playing happily. Ellie was laughing as she kept the twins busy with various games and trinkets to keep them entertained.

Jongdae could only hope that the connection he had with his daughter would last.

✦✦✦

The morning that they would travel to New York City, Jongdae woke up with a start. 

He groaned as he rolled over and checked his phone, a large 5:37 AM glaring at him and he sighed, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. He had only had another twenty minutes to sleep, and his dream had left him in deep enough thought that he knew it would have been worthless to even try.

The memory of the day Ellie’s mother left was fresh in his mind and he tried to push it away as he stood and walked over to the mirror to freshen up. The thought of her still made his heart ache no matter how much he tried to avoid it. 

“Dad, are you ready?” Ellie called from her bedroom door. He called back a yes before looking in the mirror one more time.

_She’s not there anymore, Jongdae_ , He tried to convince himself once more, staring into his own eyes. Finally he shook his head and left his room.

Ellie was already ready to go and sitting on the couch, backpack set down next to her as she scrolled mindlessly through her phone. When she noticed Jongdae coming, she put it away and walked to the door with her things.

They got into the car as Jongdae began listing off a checklist.

“Sunscreen.”

“Check!”

“Pajamas.”

“Check!”

It went on until finally Jongdae was satisfied enough to begin backing out of the car, confident enough they weren’t missing anything.

They arrived at the school and unlike usual, Jongdae parked and Ellie guided him to the entrance. They walked in and Jongdae looked around, despite the fact that he had indeed been in her school before for multiple reasons but he didn’t get to do so often.

“Ooh, here it is!” Ellie exclaimed and took Jongdae’s hand, leading him to a table close to the entrance with a sign that points out that it was the sign in booth for the field trip. Ellie gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading down the hallway to where she was supposed to be, waving one last time before she turned the corner. Jongdae smiled as he watched her go.

He looked down at the booth in front of him that had what he assumed to be a sign in sheet for parent volunteers. He was surprised to see that there was only one other name in the first slot, but decided to ignore it. Jongdae picked up the pen next to the paper and wrote his own name in under the entry.

“Well there’s another volunteer! I almost thought I would be alone,” A voice called and Jongdae looked up to meet the eyes of the man who had spoken.

Jongdae was immediately taken aback when he realized that the man was in fact, very attractive. He looked young for a parent of a middle schooler, probably early thirties, Jongdae figured, and he had brown eyes that shined kindly and a soft smile on his features directed at him. 

Jongdae realized then that the man was speaking to him and tried to find words quickly, which ended in him stuttering just a bit.

“Oh-Oh yes, my daughter’s going on the trip,” He said and cursed internally at how stupid that sounded because _of course_ his kid was going on the trip, why else would he be there?

The stranger didn’t seem to notice however and nodded before taking a sip of the drink in a cup he was holding in his hand. He then held out a hand to Jongdae and smiled again.

“Yixing,” He said his name and Jongdae nodded before responding with his own. Jongdae accepted the handshake and tried not to respond to the fact that Yixing’s hands were very soft and felt nice in his own.

Small talk has never been Jongdae’s strong point and he’s suddenly very worried about the impression he’s making on Yixing. But the other man is unlike any other parent he’s met before; he seems very calm as he leans on the wall, continuing to take sips of his drink and watching the kids walk through the hallway. Yixing doesn’t spare much of a glance his way at all.

“Okay are you two the parent volunteers?” A voice says and they both turn to see another man walking towards them, this one obviously a teacher. He is taller than Jongdae, with a slim figure and tan skin, and a pretty smile that he’s flashing at them. Jongdae nods and gives him his hand to shake, which he accepts before doing the same with Yixing.

“I’m Mr. Kim, but for the trip you can call me Jongin if you like,” Jongin says and he smiles again with a twinkle in his eyes. “We’re about to have the kids board the bus, and I was wondering if we could have you outside to help?”

Jongdae nods and looks at Yixing, making eye contact with him briefly before turning back to Jongin. He ignores how his heart does a small jump when he realizes that Yixing had already been watching him.

There’s another brief moment of silence as Jongin walks away.

“Should we go out to the bus then?” Yixing says and Jongdae couldn’t agree more, as he nods again and begins to walk down the way that Jongin did. 

_Pull yourself together, Jongdae_ , He told himself. He was only going to be with Yixing for a few days and then he wouldn’t know when or if he’d see him again. It would be no use to pine over him, even though he was quite attractive-

Jongdae sighed again, which seemed to be all he did nowadays.

✦✦✦

Jongdae stood by the entrance of the yellow school bus, watching the kids walk in clusters towards the bus entrance and asking the name of each student as they made it to the door, checking off their names on the clipboard before moving onto the next.

He kept watching the double doors of the school’s entrance, looking for his daughter in between kids. When he finally spotted her surrounded by some of her friends that he recognized, he smiled and waved, knowing completely that he was perfectly playing the role of the ‘embarrassing dad’. Ellie didn’t seem to mind though as she waved back at him.

“Do you have everything?” Jongdae asked as he checked off her name and the names of her friends that she recognized.

“Yes, Dad, just like I did when you asked me in the car less than half an hour ago,” She said, making her friends besides her giggle. He didn’t mind and smiled at her, then reached up and ruffled her hair, messing it up and making her whine. He checked off the last name and let his daughter board, finishing up the considerably shortened line of students behind her and pushing the top of the pen, retracting the ink with a satisfying click.

“Is that everyone?” Jongdae looked up to Yixing and nodded, checking behind him for another student just in case. Yixing smiled, satisfied and stepped forward to board the bus as well, but was stopped when an unfamiliar teacher joined the two and stood next to Jongdae. He was a short man with intimidating features and a bored expression on his face.

“You two are the volunteers?” The teacher said and handed them a new clipboard with a handful of papers on it before letting them answer. He took the checklist from Jongdae and walked around him, boarding the bus as Yixing took another step back to give him room to do so. Yixing and Jongdae looked at each other as if to communicate confusion at the teacher’s attitude.

Jongin appeared besides Jongdae as well and smiled, a much sweeter expression than the previous expression.

“Don’t mind him - that’s Kyungsoo. You’ve probably heard of Mr. Do from the kids,” Jongin gave a knowing laugh and Jongdae made a sound of recognition. Jongin thanked them both and stepped onto the bus after Kyungsoo.

Yixing laughed then and Jongdae would be lying if he said that the pretty sound didn’t make him feel warm all over.

“My son hates Mr. Do,” Yixing laughs again and Jongdae can’t help but laugh as well.

“So does my daughter,” He smiles and they share another knowing smile before Yixing finally steps forward onto the bus.

Jongdae knows he shouldn’t think it, but his heart gets all fuzzy again when he realizes that was the first bonding moment he’d had with the extremely handsome parent. 

Jongdae’s ears are filled with the noises of children chattering as he turns and looks down the one aisle. Jongin and Kyungsoo are sitting in the front row to his left and the seat next to them has Yixing, which he immediately goes to sit in. Yixing looks down at the clipboard in Jongdae’s hands from Kyungsoo and reaches across to place his fingers on the top, looking up and meeting Jongdae’s eyes as a silent request to look at it. Yixing takes it a second later and looks at the first few pages, Jongdae looking over his shoulder. 

The pages included schedules for various days, groups for different purposes, hotel room assignments, and more. Jongdae scanned the pages for Ellie’s name every time it appeared and pulled out his phone to text her the information. 

[9:04 AM] Ellie: thanks dad !! i love you

Jongdae smiled at the text and turned off his phone after reading it. When he looked up, he noticed that Yixing had been watching him.

“Sorry,” He said, looking flustered for the first time since Jongdae had met him at being caught. He recovers quickly however and changes the subject.

“I don’t think I’ve heard of your daughter, though?” He asks and Jongdae mentions her name and homeroom, to see if he remembered anything but he didn’t.

“Ben doesn’t talk about his friends to me that much anyway,” Yixing said and Jongdae noticed a sliver of sadness in his eyes. It was the same sadness, Jongdae recognized, that Baekhyun had in his eyes at dinner when he mentioned having a connection with the twins. But Jongdae decided not to comment on it since he thought that would be out of line.

He was saved from having to when Jongin stood up next to him and turned around to face the students, a hush falling over them as they waited for him to talk. 

Jongin explained various safety instructions and passed back a bus seating chart for the kids to write their names on. Jongdae had tuned out a little but snapped back into focus when he heard his own name.

“These are our parent volunteers, Mr. Kim and Mr. Zhang, and they will be helping out a little along the way. Do you want to introduce yourselves?” Jongin smiled at Jongdae and he swallowed, taken aback slightly since he hadn’t known he would be but stood up nonetheless.

“Well you can call me Jongdae instead of Mr. Kim,” He said and noticed Ellie only a couple of rows behind his own seat. He was reassured knowing where she was and continued. “I’m Ellie’s dad and I’ll be helping out like your teacher said,” He finished and nodded once at the faces watching him before stepping back so Yixing could do the same.

When they sat back down, Jongdae took a deep breath. He didn’t enjoy public speaking but he realized then that he’d have to get used to it on the trip. He hoped that he’d be working with small groups in the city.

[9:09 AM] Baekhyun: how is school trip so far ??

Jongdae almost laughed at the fact that his friend had practically read his mind when he looked down at his phone again. The bus started to move under him and he looked out the window at the parking lot disappear from view as they made their way onto the roads. The parking lot was much more still than Jongdae had ever seen it before, having only come during the morning and afternoon rushes to drop off and pick up. 

Yixing and Jongdae had switched places after standing up and he was thankful for the window seat now as he laid his head against the wall and closed his eyes, anticipating the long drive into the city. It wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep, the constant noise of the bus rumbling and children talking in his ears.

✦✦✦

"Jongdae?"

Jongdae was awoken by the voice and a gentle shaking of his shoulder. He opened his eyes and picked his head up from against the bus window, his neck hurting from sitting in the position for so long. His mind was fuzzy with sleep as he turned to see Yixing giving him a soft smile.

"We're here. Mr. Do told me we had to help the kids inside the hotel," he informs Jongdae and he nods. Jongdae looks out the window and sees the classic New York City traffic, the enthusiastic talking of the kids in the seats behind him making him more alert.

He tried to ignore the slight worry in his heart that was beginning to grow at the thought of his daughter being in the buzzing city and immediately was grateful that she had asked him to chaperone as he stood up and grabbed the clipboard from Yixing.

"Let's start getting off the bus, please!" Yixing called to the class who cheered and all stood up at once. Jongdae was happy he didn't have to shout this time and turned to step off the bus, keenly aware of the fact that Yixing was right behind him. The man even put an arm on Jongdae's shoulder after they got off and were standing on the busy street, and Jongdae tried to ignore the flutter in his heart.

Jongdae stopped each kid as they filed out, recording their names and presence on the sheet Mr. Do had given them. Yixing was right next to him, directing them to stand on the sidewalk next to the street. Jongdae tried to ignore how nice he was to them.

"Hi Dad!" Ellie said brightly, and Jongdae couldn't help but smile at his daughter. He ruffled her hair as she stepped to the side, letting her classmates pass and get their names checked off as Jongdae spoke to her.

"Did you sleep on the ride, love?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"You did, didn't you? I bet you snored," she retorted and Jongdae scoffed, giving her a shocked expression. She cackled before giving him a hug and leaving to go with her friends.

Jongdae checked off the final child who stepped off the bus and covered the pen with its cap. He stepped on the bus once more to make sure, but saw it was empty. He gave the bus driver a nod and he returned it as Jongdae stepped off a final time.

When he turned, he saw the pack of children standing on the sidewalk. A couple of them were getting awfully close to stepping onto the street and he walked over briskly to herd them in the correct spot. Jongdae looked around but couldn't find the teachers yet - they must have been inside checking on the hotel rooms like they had told them they would be doing.

Jongdae looked up and saw Yixing stepping forward to tap on a boy's shoulder. The student was Asian and a few inches taller to the friends he was speaking to excitedly. He turned around to see Yixing and said a short word before turning around, giving the man a halfhearted wave of his hand. Jongdae realized this student must have been Yixing's child. They clearly were not very close.

Jongdae walked around the clusters of kids that were separating the parents and moved to stand next to the other chaperone, whose face had fallen. He spoke before he could think otherwise.

"It's alright. I remember I wanted to be more independent from my dad at that age. Don't worry about it," he spoke and regretted it after. He barely knew Yixing - it wasn't his place to comment on what he had seen. Oh why had he spoken?

Yixing didn't seem to be bothered, however, as he turned and gave Jongdae a smile that reached his eyes, though they had a hint of sadness behind them.

"I get it; I was the same. But it's different being on this side of it, isn't it?" Yixing sighed and looked down at the floor, almost shyly. Jongdae couldn't help but notice that he looked very adorable.

"It almost makes me want to go apologize to my own parents," he confessed and Jongdae couldn't help but chuckle, as he shared the same sentiment so often as a parent now.

Jongdae looked up and noticed the two teachers walking out, Mr. Do farther ahead of Jongin and walking straight to the chaperones with a purpose. It was quite easy to see the difference between them, as Mr. Do had a much more serious face compared to his coworker, who paused to speak to his students with an inviting smile.

"We're going to assign each student to their hotel room. You're free to check in on your own and head to your room while we check the kids in," Mr. Do stated matter-of-factly. Yixing nodded.

"Are you sure you won't need any help?" Jongdae asked with a glance towards Ellie. He didn't particularly want to let her out of his sight, especially in the unfamiliar city.

He felt a reassuring pat on his shoulder and was almost rendered speechless as he realized it was Yixing.

"Don't worry, the teachers can handle everyone," he said as Mr. Do nodded and turned his attention to the students. Jongdae took one more look at his daughter who seemed to notice and gave him a thumbs-up. It eased his mind a little.

Jongdae put on a smile and turned to Yixing.

"Let's go up then?"

Yixing flashed him another pretty smile and Jongdae was sure he was about to turn to mush as they turned and walked side by side into the hotel's main doors.

✦✦✦

"Do we share a room?"

Jongdae was taken aback when he noticed the bedroom for the two of them. He was silently thanking the heavens that there were at least two beds.

Yixing shrugged and stepped ahead of him, carrying his luggage to one of the beds and taking off his backpack to throw it on top of the comforters.

"Costs less money for the school," Yixing stated and Jongdae made a small sound of agreement. He had forgotten about school budgets - of course the single chaperone room made sense.

 

"Do you mind if I take a shower?" Yixing asked and Jongdae gulped, images of the attractive man flooding into his mind that he certainly hadn't invited. He hoped the other man hadn't noticed anything.

"Sure. I'll probably just take a nap, anyway; traveling wears me out," Jongdae said and Yixing nodded. Jongdae ignored him as he began to fumble with his suitcase, pulling out items for his shower. He couldn't ignore him on the other hand, when he gave Jongdae another friendly shoulder pat as he passed him towards the attached bathroom.

Jongdae flopped onto the bed he had unofficially been assigned, holding his phone over his head to mess with it as he relaxed into the covers.

The sound of the shower faucet turning on and running made him suddenly realize that he had never actually responded to Baekhyun's text from earlier.

[1:12 PM] Jongdae: just got into the city. the other chaperone may be kinda cute, but u didn't hear it from me...

Jongdae sent it with a small smile, knowing Baekhyun's reaction would be interesting from the years they had spent talking about Jongdae's crushes on boys and girls throughout college.

His phone binged quickly and Jongdae read the notification from his lock screen, immediately laughing.

[1:13 PM] Baekhyun: uM?? you're def calling me when u get the chance loser

Jongdae rolled over and set the device on the nightstand. Though he had fallen asleep on the bus, his words to Yixing earlier had been true. His eyes already felt heavy as he shuffled on the bed, covering himself with the comforter.

Just as the shower faucet turned off, Jongdae found himself drifting away.

✦✦✦

Jongdae woke up startled as a weight landed on him suddenly, accompanied by high laughter.

"Wake up!" the culprit called and Jongdae opened his sleepy eyes to see his daughter having rolled off of him and laying next to him on the bed. He groaned and pulled the blankets up higher to cover his face jokingly.

The blankets were yanked from his grip and pulled off of his body, the cold air hitting him and he shivered immediately. He whined and watched as Ellie gathered the blankets up in her arms and stepped out of his reach.

"C'mon, it's dinner time," she asked, dropping the blankets and reaching forward to pull on his hand so he could get up. He grumbled once more as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, his body stiff from sleep.

He stood up and patted Ellie's head as he headed over to his suitcase, left untouched and still standing by his bedside from when he had crashed for a nap. The time did indeed say that it was around dinner time, which meant he had slept for quite a while. He sighed as he realized he might have set himself up to not get proper sleep that night.

"Text me when you're ready! I want to go get a hamburger," Ellie begged and Jongdae gave her one more sleepy smile with a nod. She jumped up happily as there was a knock on the hotel room door.

It only occurred to him then that Yixing was nowhere to be seen inside. He suddenly felt more awake as he walked over and opened the door, revealing the man with a shopping bag from a convenience store. Jongdae's stomach grumbled as he realized there were snacks inside and he felt his face turning red at the audible sound. Yixing laughed.

"She caught me at the door just as I was about to head out for these," Yixing held up the bag as a gesture as he stepped past Jongdae and into the room.

"She's a very sweet kid," he added as he set the bag down and Jongdae felt his heart glow. When people commented on Ellie, they always meant it as a compliment to his parenting, but he knew it was all her - she was just that amazing.

Jongdae gave him a nod of thanks as he set out to change for dinner. He collected his clothes from the suitcase and turned just in time to see Yixing as he pulled his shirt off, his back muscles visible as they were revealed. The way they moved under his skin made Jongdae have to pull his eyes away.

He definitely had things to tell Baekhyun.

✦✦✦

"Do you think Yixing's cute?" Ellie asked and Jongdae almost choked on the burger he had just begun eating.

"Where did you get that idea?" he asked incredulously as she cackled.

"Maybe from the way you were acting weird around him and stared at him just a bit," she suggested like the brat she was and Jongdae felt a blush creep up his cheeks as he tried to deny it.

"I'm kidding, you know," Ellie said then after she finished chewing one of the fries.

"You're being pretty subtle about it, but I know you so," she left off and Jongdae rolled her eyes at her once more.

They spoke more about what she had done in the hours Jongdae had slept with her friends as well as what she was looking forward to in the trip as they ate. Jongdae had never taken her to the city, so memories of his previous trips began to flood back as she spoke excitedly of what she wanted to see. It was a nice meal with his daughter, and he was happy she had wanted to spend time with him when her friends were in her room at that moment as well.

"I'm about to call Baekhyun. Do you want to see the twins?" he asked. Jongdae pulled out his phone to FaceTime his friend as they stepped into the elevator to head up to their room.

Baekhyun answered quickly, the video showing him waving to the camera excitedly with Chanyeol at his side and one of the twins in his lap, oblivious to what was happening. Ellie immediately began speaking in a higher voice to the phone to get the baby's attention as they laughed.

The walk to Ellie's room was a showcase of the babies, who were awake and responding happily. Jongdae could see the love in Baekhyun's eyes in the camera frame as he tickled the baby so he screamed excitedly.

"Bye bye!" Ellie said to the phone, giving one more wave as they reached her door. Jongdae gave her a quick kiss on her head as she held her room key against the lock and moved to open the door. She gave him a smile as she opened it, revealing the high-pitched sound of laughing teenage girls.

Jongdae traced his steps back towards the lobby as he pulled out his headphones from his pocket to connect them to the phone. He didn't want to gossip to his friend in his and Yixing's shared room. With the sound now projected into his ears, he could hear that one of the twins was crying and Chanyeol stood up and left the frame to go take care of him.

"Tell me everything," Baekhyun immediately said as the crying was muffled after a door shut, Chanyeol having gone into the nursery most likely.

Jongdae blushed as he began to explain to Baekhyun. He found himself gushing about Yixing once he was down on the lobby level. Baekhyun responded with the same teasing he always had, making Jongdae laugh as he decided to step out of the hotel.

It had been years since he had come into the city and he found himself wondering why he hadn't come back. Jongdae remembered loving the city so much when he came, and walking down the streets to simply observe the people bustling in and out of the shops and looking up at the towering buildings gave him a sense of adventure he hadn't had in a long time.

He spoke to Baekhyun about multiple topics as his friend complained about everything from coworkers to childcare to annoying things his husband did, since Chanyeol still wasn't in the room. It was a fulfilling conversation, since Jongdae had been busy and only every caught up with both of them when they came over with the kids. Having a long conversation with only his friend seemed to be perfect.

He made it back to the hotel as the sky progressively grew darker. Baekhyun picked up on his return from Jongdae's changing background to indoors. They began their goodbyes.

"Hey, Jongdae," Baekhyun started and Jongdae looked once more at his friend. The mischievous glint in his eye could be seen even through the camera.

"Make Yixing fall for you, will you? You'd be less stressed if you got some," Baekhyun said and Jongdae scoffed. They laughed once more before Jongdae hung up, still smiling as he put the phone away and continued briskly.

Jongdae opened the hotel room door to reveal Yixing sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room past the two beds. A television remote is sitting on the table next to the chair and Yixing is dressed in what are clearly a matching set of pajamas. Jongdae thinks his heart skips a single beat.

It's only been one day, but his interest in Yixing has no plans of stopping.

"Oh hello there," Yixing says when he walks in, shooting him a smile that doesn't help Jongdae's situation. He ignores it as he returns the expression, sitting on the bed. He didn't expect the way his feet would ache but it made sense after the walk.

"Do we know what's happening tomorrow?" Jongdae asks and Yixing nods.

"We're going to Central Park and Broadway," Yixing says, his eyes glued on the television as he speaks to Jongdae. Jongdae doesn't expect him to see his expression at the idea of letting Ellie run around Central Park, but he does.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Yixing says, giving Jongdae another kind smile. Jongdae is flustered that he noticed. Yixing was better at reading expressions than he had anticipated.

There is another pause before he speaks again.

"You know, I think we make a good team," Yixing says and Jongdae gives him a curious look.

"You don't have to worry so much. I'm here to remind you when it's alright," Yixing explains and Jongdae can't help but smile. On top of handsome, he had to be extremely kind as well?

Jongdae already knows he won't be able to sleep any time soon, as he was still energized from his nap, but Yixing ends up heading to bed at a normal time. Jongdae tries to ignore the thoughts in his head exclaiming over how cute Yixing's small snores were.

It had been a long time since Jongdae had a crush like this. He hadn't liked anyone for many years - not since Ellie's mother. He thought it was a good thing; if nothing else were to come out of this trip, he might at least ease the pain in his heart when thinking of her.

He just hoped he wouldn't cause himself any new pain or embarrassment along the way.

✦✦✦

Jongdae looked at the breakfast bar and his stomach only ached more. Laid out were bacon, eggs, assorted fruits, bread, waffles, pancakes, omelets, and more. Looking at the breakfast options reminded him of his own inability to cook - he was only confident, perhaps, in making waffles with a waffle maker, and he could make some bacon and eggs as well if he tried. He made mental note in the back of his mind to make breakfast for him and Ellie more often.

He resisted the urge to eat with his eyes as he filled up his plate with what he knew he could actually eat and began to move back to the table. There were enough students to fill up at least 6 of the tables in the dining area set up by the hotel's concierge, along with the one table the chaperones and teachers sat at that Jongdae himself was heading to. Yixing was already seated as well as Mr. Do, who they had finally identified as a man named Kyungsoo when Jongin had told them this morning. The two looked awkward, sitting next to each other but not speaking.

Jongdae sat in the seat opposite from Yixing and began to eat off his plate. Kyungsoo passed him a sheet with different group assignments with their names. There were four groups for all four adults and Jongdae's heart fell a little as he realized they would be separated for the Central Park leg of their trip.

"We'll all arrive back here at the hotel around 2 PM," Kyungsoo explained as Jongdae read over the list. He noticed that he seemed to have Ellie and her friend group of girls in his group. He was grateful at least that they shouldn't be as rowdy as the group of boys Yixing had.

Jongdae noticed the same last name, "Zhang", for both Yixing and a boy named Benjamin in his group. He placed the paper on the table and turned it so it faced Yixing.

"Is he your son?" Jongdae asked, pointing to the child's name. Yixing's face seemed to soften as he read the name.

"Yes, his name is Ben," he said with a nod and Jongdae nodded as well. He turned and spotted the same boy Yixing had spoken to when they first got off the bus the other day, speaking to other boys and laughing loudly. He seemed to be the star of his friend group, which made Jongdae curious. Yixing had only spoken to him alone, so he hadn't seen him speak to a group of friends like his son was. He wondered if they shared the same outgoing attitude.

"Both of your children are lovely, by the way," Jongin said from next to them. He had sat down while they were speaking and stopped eating to give them a smile. His smile was soft-looking and kind. Jongdae could easily see why he was such a well-liked teacher.

Both parents said their thanks before they continued to eat in silence. It wasn't awkward as they ate, all too busy chewing for any significant conversation. The teachers exchanged a few remarks, but Jongdae didn't catch any of them as he checked on his phone for texts or social media updates.

Before he knew it, they had finished and began herding the kids towards the entrance, splitting into their groups. Jongdae counted his kids to make sure he had them all and took a breath to ward off his anxiety. They were about to set off into the city for the first time.

✦✦✦

Jongdae had forgotten how peaceful Central Park was.

An oasis in the middle of the bustling city life, he was happy to watch the endless greenery pass by in the form of trees bordering their walking path into the inner part of the park. He knew they still had the open fields of green grass and landmarks like the stone bridges, castle, and lake to pass as well.

The girls were surprisingly well-behaved, as they made comments about the nature and walked ahead of Jongdae, walking in a cluster for the most part. He watched fondly as Ellie seemed to lead her friends, something he had expected with her confident personality and funny remarks she always showed off to him.

All four of the groups had allowed time to rest at the multiple different landmarks the park had to offer. Jongdae was once again thankful he was paired with girls. They enjoyed stopping to take pictures and resting to talk with the scenery surrounding them; it was something he couldn't imagine himself enjoying as a teenage boy.

Once they reached the castle, he followed them up to the top and the kids squished together to sit in the built-in seat in one of the turrets so he could take a picture. They looked out at the rest of the park from their seat for a few minutes before Ellie shouted.

"Look over there, it's Ben and Zach and the others," she said to her friends, who all began to shout to get their attention. Jongdae recognized the name of Yixing's son and followed the direction of their calls to see a group of boys playing with a ball, along with Yixing joining the game as well. Jongdae laughed as he watched him drop a ball and have to pick it up.

The girls finally caught their attention and they stopped to wave up at them. Yixing looked up and saw Jongdae standing along with them, giving him a wave as well. Jongdae laughed as he held up the ball, showing off that he had been playing along.

"Can we go talk to them, Dad?" Ellie asked, a bright smile on her face. Jongdae couldn't ever say no to her when she looked that happy. He nodded and followed them as they began to run down and head out towards the field.

Not wanting to be the lame dad that held them back, Jongdae ran to catch up with them. When they finally reached the field, however, he was out of breath and dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. Yixing saw him and laughed as he stepped forward.

"Tired?" the man asked and Jongdae fanned himself to show his exhaustion, pulling another chuckle out of Yixing. Yixing held out a hand for him to steady himself with as Jongdae stood up once again. He ignored the way his heart fluttered from holding hands for a split second, feeling like a teenager again, even if Yixing's hand was really soft.

"I understand, though. I used to be a dancer when I was young and was very fit, but I have my hands full with work and Ben. I should at least run to keep my fitness up, but," Yixing trailed off, laughing once more. Jongdae nodded in understanding. He looked Yixing up and down as subtly as he could. The man's physique was still rather nice - he could definitely see him as a dancer, he decided.

The image Jongdae was painting in his head of him dancing was also rather sexy, but he tried not to dwell on it.

They found a large rock, so large and even split into different layers so that it worked perfectly as a spot to sit and rest. The two men sat on the top, giving them an extensive look of the park's fields in all directions, the buildings of the city making a perfect background behind the trees.

"What do you do for work?" Jongdae asked, curiously. He didn't know Yixing very well at all, but the tidbit of being a former dancer had certainly given him reason to encourage the little crush he was building.

"Oh, I'm a pediatrician, actually," Yixing said and well damn. If the idea of him in scrubs and being a smart doctor wasn't sexy as well, then he didn't know what was.

"That's hard work. I work in IT myself, so I can just stay at home. How are your hours?" Jongdae asked. He hadn't ever had a friend who succeeded in being a doctor. It would be interesting to know the actual difficulty level than the standard things everyone heard.

Yixing and Jongdae sat and spoke for a long time as the children messed around on the field. Jongdae was engrossed in Yixing's speaking, and the way that their conversation had been easy enough that there were minimal awkward pauses and Jongdae kept coming up with responses that kept the conversation flowing and enjoyable.

He couldn't remember the last time he had such a nice conversation with someone he wasn't good friends with.

Finally, the kids who had been preoccupied with their game and their phones seemed to grow restless as Ben walked up to Yixing behind him as he was speaking to Jongdae.

"Dad, when do we head back?" he asked, looking back at his friends as Yixing pulled out his phone to check the time. Jongdae watched them and was astonished to see how similar they looked. Their family relation was clear, which Jongdae automatically found endearing.

Jongdae remembered Ben's question and pulled out his phone as well a beat after Yixing, surprised to see they had 30 minutes left to head back to the hotel.

Yixing gave him a questioning look and Jongdae nodded.

"We can start heading back right now," Jongdae told the boy who nodded and began walking back to his friends, yelling the news to them.

Jongdae stood up and groaned a little, his muscles having grown tired from sitting. They had sat for a long time, engrossed in their conversation and the comfortable surroundings of nature. Even the weather had cooperated with them, a bright cloudless sky above with winds keeping them cool so the heat wasn't unbearable.

Yixing stood up next to him as well, and he was standing so close to Jongdae that he could feel his heart beat grow louder. He tried not to act strange as he called out to the kids and they began to ather around and get into their groups. They started to walk out of the park together, Yixing's group in front as they all headed in the direction of the hotel.

"You're staring," a voice said quietly next to him, and he turned to see Ellie giving him a wicked grin. He smacked her playfully on the shoulder as she giggled.

"Am not," he shot back, but his smile was a dead giveaway.

"Of course not," she said.

"We all think it's cute," her friend next to her said, a girl that Jongdae faintly recalls as Seulgi from when Ellie had her birthday party a month ago - a sleepover at their apartment that had worn Jongdae out with their antics and the clean-up duty he performed afterwards.

Jongdae's jaw dropped in shock.

"Did you tell all your friends, young lady?" Jongdae asked, scandalized, to giggles around him.

"Don't worry, we won't tell!" another girl he could plae as being named Wendy. Jongdae covered his face in his hands as he walked. It did nothing to help the teasing.

When he looked up, he was sure his face was bright red. They had reached the streets from one of the park's many exits and stood for the walking signal to cross the street. Yixing looked back at him with a smirk, unknowing of the conversation he had gotten himself caught in.

He always loved his daughter, but in times when she embarrassed him like this, he didn't always like her.

✦✦✦

Jongdae's jaw almost dropped as Yixing stepped out of the bathroom, looking into the full length mirror in the entrance of the hotel room. He adjusted his tie and ran a hand through his hair before he turned towards Jongdae, a smirk on his face that made Jongdae's knees weak.

The man was handsome in casual wear, but in a suit-

Well, Jongdae never had a chance.

"What do you think?" Yixing asks, raising his eyebrows in question. Jongdae was desperately trying to pull himself together enough to give a composed answer, but his mind was in scrambles.

"Very nice," he managed, and Yixing laughed. Jongdae felt his face heat up and hoped he hadn't been too terribly obvious. He pulled the bundle of clothes that was his own suit closer and stepped forward towards the bathroom, watching his feet as he closed the bathroom door. He let out a sigh as he forced himself to calm down and change.

He stepped out to examine himself in the mirror as well and felt Yixing's gaze. Jongdae ignored it, not wanting to turn and search for a reason to give himself hope in his face.

"Let's head out, why don't we?" Jongdae asked, opening the hotel room door and holding it open for Yixing to follow. They stepped out into the hall and began to walk down towards the lobby.

"Go ahead. I'm going to check on Ellie," Jongdae said, still not looking back at Yixing. He couldn't avoid meeting his eyes as they passed, however, and felt his heart stutter again at the sight of him. What was it with Yixing in a suit that had him so weak?

They were heading out to Broadway, which seemed slightly strange to Jongdae to not be going for one of the evening shows. However, the afternoon Sunday showing was bound to be cheaper for the school, so here they were dressed up early on Sunday for the theater.

"Ellie?" Jongdae called through the door as he tapped on it three times, hearing exclamations from the other side of the door. A moment later, the door opened and revealed his daughter in a pretty dress he had chosen for her shopping last week. He had been proud of himself for choosing a dress she had actually approved, but seeing her actually in it made his heart melt just a little more.

"You look gorgeous, sweetheart," he said truthfully, but she gave him the teenage scoff of disbelief. Jongdae hated that belief that all teenage girls had, especially when he believed his own daughter shined like a star. He didn't dwell on it however, as she called on her friends to hurry up.

"I'll meet you in the lobby, okay?"

"I'll meet you in the lobby, okay?" she told him and Jongdae nodded, pulling her in for a hug and kissing her head before she pulled away, smiling as she disappeared back into the hotel room.

Jongdae headed down the stairs by himself and found Yixing sitting in one of the seats, Jongin and Kyungsoo sitting nearby as well. There were a few groups of kids as well, speaking excitedly as they saw each other dressed up more formally than they normally did in their everyday classes. Jongdae felt nostalgic towards his own school days watching them, remembering his crushes being magnified when he saw a particular attractive classmate wearing something nice.

It wasn't too different now as Jongdae saw Yixing walking towards him, missing when the man stood up from his chair. He wore a smile that made Jongdae smile without thinking as well.

"You and me are sitting together in the theater, apparently," he commented and Jongdae brightened up at the idea. Jongdae pulled his phone out of his pocket, opening his email to double check the Broadway tickets sent to him after he was confirmed to be chaperone. They compare the cell phones opened to a similar ticket page and sure enough, they were sitting right next to each other.

Jongdae couldn't keep the excited feeling out of his smile as he looked up at Yixing. He knew that he shouldn't look for hope or reasons to make this trip spiral into things he couldn't control, but he couldn't help it - he was sure something similar was visible in Yixing's eyes too.

Times Square was a short walk from the hotel, but it scared Jongdae to death as they separated into their groups to make the trek. It was hectic as always, and Jongdae was terrified he was going to lose someone - he even held Ellie's hand and told her to link to her friends in a similar way, gaining groans from the girls. They complied however, making Jongdae's heart calm down, if only a little.

The various Broadway theaters were finally visible, the signs lined with lights as they displayed large promotion pictures of the different shows. Jongdae could see the other groups with the teachers who had set off earlier when their kids emerged from their hotel rooms faster than Ellie's friends had. He may or may not have scolded his own daughter for being the last group to set out, having agreed to regroup at the theater.

They also seemed to be the last to arrive at the theater, as he saw Yixing again, standing under the cover of the large Aladdin sign. Jongdae had always appreciated Disney movies, but he hadn't come out to see the Broadway adaptation since its release, despite Ellie's begging on occasion to be taken to a Broadway show. Yet another mental note for a return with her to the city was tucked away in his mind.

They filed into seats, taking up the highest rows right underneath the rear mezzanine, seated on the first elevated level of the theater. It was smaller than he recalled as a child coming to Broadway with his own parents, but then again memories were always warped as a child in comparison to revisits as an adult.

Jongdae and Yixing sat on the end of the row, with a decent view of the stage. They made small talk for a while, and Jongdae found himself more often staring at Yixing's eyes and having to focus to tune into the conversation again.

Suddenly, the lights went dark to a few scattered cheers and the orchestra in the pit began playing with a very Arabic sounding fanfare, signaling the start of the show. Jongdae felt his own childhood excitement for the story surfacing as he hummed along to the instrumentals of the classic songs.

He hadn't realized he was singing along to "A Whole New World" quietly until Yixing nudged him with a curious look in his eyes.

"You're a good singer, aren't you?" Yixing asked with a small smile. Jongdae covered his mouth in surprise, hoping the dimmed surroundings covered his embarrassed expression. Yixing smiled a little as the music grew louder again, playing an instrumental for a song louder than the famous ballad.

Yixing leaned in towards Jongdae's ear in order to be heard, and he could feel his heart begin to speed up.

"You should sing more often, you know," Yixing said and Jongdae looked down at his lap shyly at the compliment. He had known that he was a good singer, but being complimented by Yixing was something different.

Jongdae began to watch the show as the first actor appeared on the stage, turning his eyes away from Yixing though he could still feel the other man's eyes on him instead of on the stage. He tried not to read into it, even when he felt the gaze return more often throughout the show.

He tried desperately to deny it, but his heart refused. Maybe there was some reason for hope.

✦✦✦

"So how come you knew all the songs yesterday?" Yixing asked with a smirk as they stood in line.

After the Broadway show the other day, he had teased Jongdae for singing continually even in the hotel room when they had returned. Jongdae had indeed remembered his childhood through the endearing story's interpretation on the stage, and may have been singing along in the shower without mercy or worry of Yixing hearing. It hadn't seemed to be as embarrassing as it seemed when he woke up with the memory but no excited sensation this morning, when he remembered how Yixing seemed to be looking at him with admiration when he sang as he got ready to sleep.

"My daughter, Ellie," he began to explain. "She loves Broadway musicals, and we always end up putting on the soundtracks in the car. She gets her friends into each one as well, so when we had her birthday party a while back, I was definitely treated to theater-themed karaoke for quite a while."

 

Jongdae explained with fondness at the memory, pulling a laugh out of Yixing.

"Ben would never be into any of that," he laughed and Jongdae once again caught the sight of the boy in the room and decided that definitely not; he didn't look like the type of teenage boy to be involved in theater.

They were waiting in line to enter Madame Tussaud's, a wax museum settled into Time Square, not far from where they had been at the theater just the other day. Though he had been dashing in Jongdae's opinion in his suit last night, Yixing was dressed in more casual clothes to explore the museum. They had also been told that they didn't need to explore the museum in their groups, giving the children free reign until a certain meet up time to head back to the entrance for their next activity.

The two parents reached the front of the ticket line and bought two tickets for themselves, walking ahead towards the stairs that led up into the museum area.

"So these are wax figures of celebrities?" Yixing asked and Jongdae gave him a nod as he put his money away.

"They're life-sized and everything," Jongdae informed. "I can't wait to be dwarfed by the figures and be reminded how much smaller I am than attractive actors."

Yixing snorted at that, before he nudged Jongdae on the shoulder playfully. Jongdae had noticed how Yixing was touchy and it made his heart feel a little strangely when he realized he must be feeling closer to him in order to be comfortable enough to touch him like that.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Yixing said and Jongdae almost stopped in his tracks at hearing that. He must not have recovered very well as he kept walking, because Yixing giggled besides him and Jongdae awkwardly tried to laugh as well.

They had finally walked into the first exhibit of the museum after passing a long snaking hallway with sparse wax figures along the way. It was decorated to show a late night Hollywood scene, with a fountain in the middle of the room, a stylish car placed strategically, a red carpet surrounding, and various figures of famous actors. Jongdae pulled out his phone and turned to the first wax figure of an actor he could recognize, standing in between the replicas of Jennifer Aniston and Scarlett Johansson. He angled up his phone to take a few pictures.

"Do they really look like this?" Yixing said, examining another wax figure from a few feet away where Jongdae had left him. Jongdae gave him a curious look, not understanding the question.

"They're meant to look like the actors," he said, a smile appearing on his face as he watched Yixing squint his eyes, looking at the figure more closely without stepping close to him.

It was a pause before Yixing turned to him, looking a bit unsettled.

"Their eyes creep me out," he said shyly. "I don't like the way they just stare."

Jongdae realized he was a little _scared_. It was the cutest thing he had ever seen in his life.

He couldn't hold back the loud laugh that fell from his lips as he stepped towards Yixing, grabbing his arm. He spoke before he could think about it, reacting from the way his heart felt seeing the different side of Yixing.

"It's okay, you can hold my hand if it makes you feel better."

Yixing turned to him and smiled, a cute turning up of his lips that made Jongdae look deeper into his gaze.

"I'd like that," Yixing said, the words seeming a little more serious than the teasing tone Jongdae had taken a second ago. Jongdae gulped as he realized he hadn't spoken for a few seconds, releasing his hold on Yixing.

What had happened since yesterday for Yixing to act like this? There was definitely a reason he could hope now, wasn't there?

Jongdae shook it off and plastered another smile on his face to take away the awkwardness. It became genuine as he turned and looked at Yixing, gesturing for him to follow him. Yixing followed a little reluctantly, his eyes looking a little nervously from the different wax figures. Jongdae couldn't deny how adorable it was.

They moved through the museum like that, Yixing's fears slowly melting as they continued. They took pictures of each other posing with the different wax figures, and Jongdae hadn't been wrong that he was dwarfed by some of the taller actors' figures. It was subject to Yixing's teasing as he posed with them, even though Yixing himself wasn't that much taller than Jongdae was. He couldn't deny that Yixing's teasing was fun, though.

They did see some of the kids in the class on the trip, their faces having grown familiar from herding them for a couple of days, but neither Jongdae nor Yixing had spotted their children and the groups they had traveled with for the majority of the trip.

Jongdae finally caught sight of Ellie later, sitting with her friends at a built in cafe area in the museum. He smiled and walked up to her.

"What do you think you're going to be paying for with that?" Jongdae teased and she smiled as she caught sight of her dad.

"Just a few drinks," she whined. Jongdae laughed and told her to behave, nodding at her friends nearby as well. When he turned around, he noticed the wax figures of the Spice Girls in the corner and smirked before he started to sing one of their songs loudly, one that he knew his daughter would know and be embarrassed by.

He was right when Ellie whined audibly over his singing, which dissolved into another laugh. He was bobbing to the beat of his own singing as Yixing appeared in his view, leaning against the wall and smiling at him. Jongdae couldn't help but smile back at him as well.

Jongdae and Yixing ended up following the girls out of the cafe area and from there on, it was a quick walk to the end of the museum. Satisfied with getting through all the exhibits and with his phone full of new pictures, Jongdae sat down at a bench right outside the museum. He let his daughter and her friends stay inside in order to not be watched over by her dad too much. Yixing sat down next to him as well.

"You know, I got used to their eyes after a while," Yixing said and Jongdae chuckled.

"They reminded me too much of dolls. I've never liked dolls," Yixing added and Jongdae saw his expression change into disgust, scrunching his shoulders to his ears and shaking his head like the thought creeped him out.

"You would never be able to take care of a girl then," Jongdae laughed as Yixing's eyes widened. "Ellie loved dolls a lot. There's still some sitting in her bedroom."

"How could you sleep with those in there?" Yixing exclaimed and Jongdae shrugged.

Chilly air passed over them. The New York sky had been clear with only a few kids when they had first arrived two days ago, but now it was a dull overcast and the wind seemed to have picked up with it, coming in icy bursts. Jongdae shivered, but suddenly Yixing had scooted towards him and Jongdae was aware that his arm was slung over the top of the bench behind Jongdae's head and he desperately wished that he could wrap it around Jongdae.

Against his better judgement, Jongdae scooted closer to Yixing as well until their sides were touching. Yixing had worn a thick blue sweater that had clearly kept him quite warm, as Jongdae felt better being pressed up against him. Jongdae was wearing his own black sweater but he had always been more susceptible to the cold than was convenient.

The two of them didn't speak but it wasn't awkward as they watched the people pass by. It had always been one of Jongdae's favorite pastimes when he traveled. It was different watching people of different paths of life than him pass by, and he enjoyed simply observing them and enjoying the atmosphere that was so different than his usual surroundings at home. The two men even made comments when they watched a little girl carry a large cupcake balloon down the sidewalk or watched the street performers tumble on the streets of TIme Square.

"Wait a second, is that...?" Yixing said and Jongdae felt the arm on the bench behind him move and turned to see him point at the bench down the street a bit, in front of the store next to the wax museum. Jongdae gave a little exclamation of surprise as he saw what was pointed out to him.

The two teachers were sitting at the bench, much closer together than they had revealed before in the times the chaperones had seen them. Both men watched as Kyungsoo, who had seemed so passive during the trip, smiled brightly at what Jongin had said, his face lighting up in a way it hadn't before. Jongin reached up with both hands to ruffle Kyungsoo's hair before he planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Well I didn't expect that," Yixing said and Jongdae could hear the smile on his voice. It warmed Jongdae's heart as well. He would have never expected his daughter's teachers to be in a relationship, but it seemed to work out well for them and made Mr. Do in particular seem much happier than the serious look he usually had.

"It's been a while since I've had a boyfriend," Yixing said and Jongdae could have sworn his heart stopped. He turned to look at Yixing and searched his eyes.

"Did you not think I liked men?" Yixing asked and Jongdae shrugged. He hadn't assumed anything, but most of the time he was open to people anyway.

"Do you?" Yixing asked and Jongdae suddenly felt like it was a rather important question.

Jongdae nodded shortly and hoped that the other man didn't push him away, perhaps having been comfortable with Jongdae but then becoming worried about advances at finding out his sexuality. Thankfully, Yixing just smiled and didn't make any move to push Jongdae away, but Jongdae didn't know how to interpret that when they were sitting a little close for two men who had only gotten to know each other for the first time two days ago.

Jongdae didn't know how to handle a lot of the signals that Yixing sent him. Was he getting mixed signals or had he just not dated anyone in a while to know better?

He desperately hoped it was the first one.

✦✦✦

If Jongdae had thought he had been confused over possible mixed signals earlier, it was only worsened when they had regrouped to go to the Empire State Building.

Yixing and Jongdae had walked together, watching the kids and keeping them in front of the chaperones as the group made the longer walk to the next landmark. It was longer than before and the kids began to complain about the distance, but otherwise didn't bother them. They discussed different things as they walked the length of the city blocks, pointing out stores along the way. The conversation flowed as nicely as it always did, and Jongdae even stopped to wonder if perhaps they were just lucky to be fitting together so well during this trip.

Having gotten more of a later start in the day to head to the wax museum and stay there for hours, the sky was beginning to set as they made it to the building, heading inside and beginning a long line to reach the viewing deck.

Jongdae could have sworn that the longer they talked, the closer Yixing stood next to him in line. When he turned his head, Yixing's face was closer than he expected multiple times, but he hadn't particularly wanted to step back and only did so because of the knowledge of the middle schoolers' presence there as well. Yixing seemed to be touching him more often too, whether it was in the form of playful hits or even grabbing Jongdae's hand for a few seconds. The feel of their hands fitting together did not do anything to help Jongdae's confused heart.

After an impatient wait on the part of the children, who weren't interested in all at the details in the queue, the first children in their class reached the front of the line. They stepped inside the elevator in a group, the doors closing to take them up to the viewing deck. It was only a short wait before Jongdae and Yixing accompanied more children into the elevator as well.

Jongdae was impressed by the amount of buttons on the elevator, showing the true height of the famous building, leading up to the top level that they were to go outside onto. He anticipated the view more now. He couldn't wait to take more pictures to send to Baekhyun later that day.

They emerged onto the viewing deck and both him and Yixing were impressed by the view they were exposed to.

The entire island of Manhattan was visible around the entire viewing deck, and they were taller than the vast majority of the buildings, the city landscape stretching out before them. Even Central Park could be seen, the oasis of trees and nature sticking out against the backdrop of the buildings and streets. The sun had completely set in the time they were waiting inside as well, so the whole view was painted against the dark night sky, the city lights painting the landscape even more beautifully.

Yixing and Jongdae immediately began posing against the rail to capture the view in as many photos they could take, both together and separately. It made Jongdae's heart swell when Yixing mentioned liking the pictures of the two of them. Though Jongdae doubted anything between the two would happen, he was at least happy that Yixing was pleased to spend time with him. He even wondered how they would spend time together back in their home town. But for now, he decided it was better to just enjoy the moments he could spend with Yixing now.

When Jongdae finally sat down, the day spent on his feet either walking or standing in line finally getting to him, Ellie found him in the crowds around the entire viewing deck. She pulled him back to his feet while she ignored Jongdae's protests, begging for pictures, which she knew Jongdae couldn't deny.

They took a few selfies, trying to get the city landscape in as best as they could before Yixing tapped on his shoulder to offer to take pictures for them. Jongdae laughed at the sheer obviousness of the better idea and handed over his phone, posing with his daughter as they took pictures.

He may or may not have been looking at Yixing a bit longer than he did at the camera.

Yixing walked over and ruffled Ellie's hair just like Jongdae would, to which she protested. Yixing's laugh was like a melody to Jongdae's ears as he smiled down at his daughter. Jongdae was in awe of how he treated her, wondering how he would do it all the time.

Jongdae immediately shook his head as he realized the implications behind the thought that snuck in his head. No matter what happened to this crush, Yixing treating Ellie like this all the time showed a deeper want for Yixing than was definitely appropriate. Jongdae looked out at the city landscape, trying to push the thought out of his head.

"You alright?" Yixing asked quietly, tapping on Jongdae's shoulder. Yixing had lowered his voice but Jongdae had heard him anyway, and when he turned to face the other man it was obvious why. The space between their faces was definitely not as much as Jongdae had expected, but neither made any point to move.

Jongdae was thankful Ellie had darted away back to her friends, because it was another second of the two men just looking at each other before they broke away. When Jongdae snuck another look at Yixing, the man was licking his lips and Jongdae looked away again, telling himself it was probably because of the cold air.

Yixing definitely didn't like him.

Or did he?

Jongdae couldn't tell.

Jongdae ended up deep in his thoughts, even as they were called to regroup to head back to the hotel. Yixing seemed to be as well, as the only background noise on their walk was the usual city noises instead of their usual ever-flowing conversations.

Jongdae hoped he hadn't screwed up in some way to cause Yixing's silence, but as he snuck looks at Yixing along the way back, he thought that he certainly hadn't, seeing the hope in his eyes of reciprocated feelings that he had been looking for the whole time.

He just wished that hope wouldn't betray him in the end.

✦✦✦

Despite all the lovely moments they had shared, Jongdae's heart had been restless as he tried to sleep that night. He had definitely screwed up.

After they had both washed up in their room, Yixing had moved from his usual television position in the armchair to under the covers of his own bed, sitting up against the headboard. Jongdae had noticed the television show to be one of the cartoons that Ellie had deemed dumb but Jongdae had found to be entertaining and mindless. It wasn't until Jongdae had laughed as well from where he stood watching it against the wall that Yixing spoke.

"Do you wanna sit?" He asked hopefully to Jongdae, patting the space in his bed next to him. Jongdae looked back at him with a question in his eyes and after Yixing nodded once more, Jongdae headed over. He tried to ignore the way the situation could be interpreted as he sat down in the same bed as Yixing, heart fluttering like a teenager.

They had watched the mindless cartoons for a while before Yixing turned to his phone, looking at the pictures that they had taken together on the building. He showed Jongdae a few, inviting the man to scoot over closer to him in order to see better. Jongdae's heart skipped another beat as their bodies almost touched again. When he turned to see Yixing's expression, they were as close as before and Jongdae tried to minimize the amount of times he did, in order to not be too obvious.

"Wasn't the view beautiful? It was so much fun," Jongdae admitted as Yixing scrolled past a few pictures of the city skyline without them in the frame.

"It was better with you," Yixing said confidently and Jongdae felt himself blush at the words.

When he turned to meet Yixing's gaze, there was immediately a different expression in the eyes that Jongdae had enjoyed looking into so much during the few days. He didn't know what was special about this certain moment, but Jongdae's ears seemed to block out the noise of the television still showing the cartoon and ignored the pictures in favor of only Yixing.

He didn't think before he moved, his body charged with a confidence that was unlike him, fueled by the look in Yixing's eyes. He leaned in, turning his head and his gaze only on Yixing's lips.

Their lips were close before he realized what he was doing and he paused, their faces barely an inch apart. Jongdae hesitated, ruining any of the confidence he had before clearing his throat and pulling away, looking down and mortified. What had he been thinking? His face rushed with a blush.

He couldn't bring himself to look at Yixing. The other man hadn't moved during Jongdae's advance and Jongdae realized with horror that he hadn't wanted the kiss that Jongdae had so recklessly hoped for. It was too late to take back now.

Shrouded with embarrassment, Jongdae stood up off the bed, picking up his phone to check for notifications in an attempt to ease the awful blanket of awkwardness that thickened the air. His phone was still empty of distractions and he put it down on the nightstand.

"Goodnight," he muttered before climbing into the other bed, not wanting to meet Yixing's eyes to see the true feeling behind them. He was certain he had ruined any chance he might have had, friendship or otherwise. Jongdae was so humiliated as he covered himself up, wishing the blanket could hide him from the man that was only a few feet away and hadn't moved since Jongdae's decision.

What Jongdae didn't notice as he tossed and turned was that Yixing hadn't been disgusted by his advance, only shocked. Both men had trouble sleeping that night. One thought of how he shouldn't have moved and one chastised himself at not realizing soon enough.

If only they could hear each other's thoughts.

 

✦✦✦

Jongdae had wished to be with Yixing for the majority of the trip, but it was different now. And of course once his wishes changed his luck worsened as well.

Yixing and Jongdae did have to pair their groups up for the final day of the New York trip in the American Museum of Natural History. Jongdae wanted to die when Yixing just looked at him with a smile, not anywhere as bright as it had been just the day before. Jongdae even thought he saw a question in it, asking if they could still act normal.

Jongdae hated it.

He had gotten ready and walked here silently, too ashamed to even look at the other man. Why had he thought it would be anywhere near appropriate to make a move on him like that? Jongdae couldn't fathom what he had been thinking the last night.

They walked through the museum and Ellie had nudged him, sensing that something was off. He was too stuck in his thoughts and chastisement of himself that he didn't answer her, just waving her off. His action only made him feel more guilty later.

The museum wasn't even much of a distraction to him, with its animal replicas and space artifacts. The large dinosaur fossils were too beautiful to not photograph, but Jongdae felt like posing for pictures was too much of going through motions instead of enjoying the various exhibits.

Jongdae didn't know why upsetting Yixing would affect him so much, but his stomach turned into a knot of emotions every time he looked at the other man. Multiple times he caught Yixing looking at him as well and it didn't help.

After hours of walking around and not more than a few words spoken between the two in order to regroup children, nothing was much better. Jongdae looked down at the schedule on his phone for the museum trip and almost breathed a sigh of relief when he realized they only had one exhibit left.

After this trip, it was probably better than Yixing and him didn't see each other again.

Jongdae's heart hurt at the thought.

He sighed as they walked, leading the group of fifteen or so children towards the Hall of Ocean Life. Jongdae hoped at least that the exhibit would be picture-worthy as their last part of the visit. The museum was the last event on their trip anyway, so Jongdae wanted to end the New York experience on a high note, even if he had messed up so badly the night before.

He was definitely not disappointed.

He heard the gasps from behind him in the group and Jongdae couldn't help but do the same as he looked up and saw the giant blue whale model hanging from the hall, facing them in a bent motion as if caught mid-swim from where they were standing on the stairs entrance. Around the blue tinted hall, there were more of the animal replicas behind glass walls in their own space, but nothing could really distract from the whale model.

Jongdae heard a sigh next to him and turned, not realizing that Yixing had stood next to him. Yixing's arms were on his hips as he looked up at the whale, as in awe as Jongdae was. The sight of him only stung a little as Jongdae was still taken aback.

"You guys can explore and meet us in the middle under the whale, when you're done, alright?" Jongdae turned to the kids to instruct them and they nodded. He picked out Ellie from the crowd and saw her giggle as she grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her towards the right side of the hall towards the other exhibits.

Jongdae began to head down the stairs towards the empty space in the middle of the hall. He couldn't help but look up as he walked, more in awe as the whale floated directly above them, much larger than he could imagine. He didn't realize that he should have been looking down until he misjudged a step and stumbled, a strong hand grabbing his arm and pulling him up before he could fall.

Jongdae's heart was pounding and his eyes were wide as he turned and saw Yixing was his savior, giving him a smile. It felt like before yesterday and Jongdae was grateful as he immediately stood and regrouped, pushing up his glasses. He had opted for glasses out of pure laziness but he thought he could see Yixing watching him with what looked like fondness in his eyes.

Sitting right in the middle of the floor along with other museum-goers also resting only made him feel more like he was submerged in the ocean, as the lights painted them in a blue hue. Jongdae couldn't help it and laid back on the floor, looking up at the sight above him.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Yixing asked, having followed and sat down next to Jongdae. Jongdae had ignored him as he sat but now as Yixing leaned over so he was blocking the view of the whale, Jongdae thought he was more beautiful than the sight above him.

"Definitely," Jongdae murmured, their close distance making him feel like he should lower his voice.

Yixing laid down next to Jongdae, propping himself up on one elbow so he could look at Jongdae. The gaze on him was only leaving him feeling breathless. Yixing re-adjusted himself so that he was looking up at the whale as well.

"It makes me feel insignificant compared to other things in the world," Yixing said and Jongdae's heart swelled with how well it described his feelings. He had noticed that Yixing did not speak that much but when he did, he was very good with his words.

There was a silence and Jongdae was determined to think before he spoke. Yixing at least deserved it for the consequence he had to face of Jongdae not doing so the day before.

"You know, I'm really sorry about last night," Jongdae whispered, the words hard to get out.

The next thing he knew, he felt a hand pulling him up gently as Yixing forced him to sit up. They were facing each other now and it didn't feel as easy to speak as it had a second ago.

"I want you to know it's okay. You don't have to apologize for that," Yixing started, looking Jongdae straight in the eye. Jongdae felt the embarrassment come back and wanted so desperately to break the eye contact but he could tell it was important and he tried to read Yixing's feelings in his eyes.

"I shouldn't have tried to force myself on you like that," Jongdae spoke, ashamed but Yixing was looking at him like he had come from another planet.

"You didn't force yourself on me," Yixing answered. He grabbed Jongdae's hand from where it had been resting in the other boy's lap and began to fiddle with it with his own hands. Jongdae tried to focus on the conversation with how lovely and soft Yixing's hands were.

"It was my fault to make myself so obvious," Yixing said and Jongdae looked up. Yixing was wearing a smile that Jongdae couldn't read. His words had caught him so off guard. What did he mean by obvious?

Jongdae was caught off from being able to think about it as someone knocked the breath out of him, pushing on his back with such force that he almost fell forward. Yixing pulled out of his grasp and backed up before Jongdae could hit him, the other man barely catching himself. Yixing's laugh was audible even though Jongdae couldn't see him, but the sound was like an angel and Jongdae felt his heart squeeze again.

"I scared you, didn't I?" Ellie's voice giggled from behind him. Jongdae groaned as he reached to his shoulder and caught her, pulling the girl around as she screamed and fell to the floor next to Jongdae. He hushed her as another family looked over at them with annoyed expressions at her volume, but he didn't mind, just laughing at the moment.

Yixing met his eyes once more and Jongdae could actually see the joy in his expression to accompany his laugh. Jongdae smiled genuinely, larger than he thought he did throughout the whole trip.

He was certain that when he thought about trip and Ellie's first trip of the city and meeting Yixing that this right here was going to be his favorite memory.

✦✦✦

Jongdae had been dying to bring up the conversation Ellie had cut off earlier, but the metro ride and walk to the hotel didn't seem like the right spot to continue. He didn't want their exchange to be in front of the kids, even though he was desperate at this point.

Even as they were almost at their hotel room, Yixing having made small talk that Jongdae could answer as well as being caught up in his thoughts, they reached another obstacle for Jongdae to wait through.

"Why don't we finalize the plan for tomorrow? I don't really want to figure stuff out at four o'clock in the morning while all the kids are exhausted," Yixing said, referencing their extremely early start time that next day. Jongdae knew it was a good plan and agreed, even if all he wanted to do was go to their room and know Yixing's true feelings.

Jongdae hadn't expected anything as they knocked on the door of the teachers' room, looking down at his phone as they waited for an answer. But what happened next made Jongdae want to burst out in laughter.

Jongin opened the door so that only his torso showed, but his shirt was disheveled and hair a mess, sticking up in various directions. Jongdae wouldn't have found it funny until he saw the blush on his cheeks and how red his lips were as he asked why they were there, somewhat breathless.

Yixing seemed to notice the same thing Jongdae did and did a good job at ignoring it, but there was still a glint in his eyes and the way his lips were close to smiling that gave him away.

"I was gonna ask something, but could you just send us the information for tomorrow when you get the chance?" Yixing said quickly, making Jongdae almost laugh again at the awkwardness of everything.

Jongin seemed to notice that he was not subtle and blushed as he nodded, giving them a halfhearted wave as he shut the door quickly. It wouldn't have been as bad if they didn't hear Kyungsoo's voice for the split second before the door closed, with a whining tone calling for Jongin that was uncharacteristic from what they had noticed throughout the trip.

Yixing and Jongdae only looked at each other for a second before laughing.

"How much do you want to bet they were fucking?" Jongdae asked Yixing and the man stopped in his tracks, bending over as they laughed uncontrollably.

"They were, one hundred percent, fucking," Yixing said and the moment of them laughing in the hall at the pure strangeness of the situation was almost surreal as the two men didn't stop for quite a few minutes.

They finally made it to their hotel room after collecting themselves, goofy smiles still on their faces. Yixing announced his shower first and Jongdae agreed, moving to sit on the bed as he waited to be able to wash up. It was only when the water turned on that Jongdae realized they were alone.

He grew worried, imagining how the other man would react when he tried to bring up the topic again. He almost wondered if he _should_ bring it up again - they had begun acting normal again, and Jongdae didn't want to make another mistake. He was still in this war with himself when the water shut off and he felt his body shiver in nervousness and a sliver of fear.

Yixing walked out a few minutes later with wet hair and an oversized shirt and sweatpants that worked together to make him the most adorable person Jongdae had ever seen. He turned away, hoping he wasn't wearing his emotions on his sleeve too much.

Jongdae had forgotten that the point was for him to shower next and blushed when Yixing asked if he would. He began to sit up, flustered, when Yixing spoke again.

"Wait," he asked and Jongdae looked up at him, expectantly. That hope of his was going to get back at him and he was certain that he was about to get crushed.

"We never finished our conversation, you know," Yixing said and Jongdae's nerves only worsened. _Had he been thinking about it in the shower?_

"What I was going to say was," Yixing started, sitting next to Jongdae. The bed sunk with his weight as he continued to speak.

"I was only not expecting it, but it wasn't unwanted," Yixing said and Jongdae felt frozen and unable to think.

"Maybe I should clarify?" Yixing asked, looking at Jongdae with a smile that made him want to melt. He leaned in more and Jongdae knew if he just moved in another inch, their lips would touch. It was maddening.

"I wanted you to kiss me," Yixing whispered against Jongdae's lips, his gaze having dropped down towards them.

Jongdae couldn't handle it anymore as he closed the distance, their lips meeting in the way he had imagined they would. He felt his heartbeat pounding loudly in his chest as Yixing didn't hesitate this time, his hands coming up to bury themselves in Jongdae's hair, tugging lightly. Jongdae couldn't help the little sigh that escaped his lips as they kissed. Jongdae had had the feeling Yixing would be a good kisser, but it never amounted to the real thing, that felt like Yixing was drinking him up like water, making him feel needed and sweeping his breath away. Jongdae smiled into the kiss.

They broke after a minute, catching their breath, their hands still on the other. Jongdae let out a breathless laugh, and Yixing pulled farther to look into his face.

"You," he said in the same breathless voice Jongdae had had before chuckling shortly. It was incredibly sexy. "You are the best kisser."

Jongdae couldn't help the way his heart swelled at the compliment as he leaned in again for another taste of Yixing's addictive lips.

✦✦✦

Jongdae woke up more tired than he could remember feeling in a very long time, opting for the comfiest outfit he could muster with his glasses and messy hair that he didn't bother with. The kids hadn't seemed any different and for once the bus ride began silently instead of the constant chatter that had become the background noise of the entire trip.

Despite the fact that they hadn't done it again that morning, Jongdae couldn't get the feeling of Yixing's lips against his out of his mind. Contrary to what had happened on the ride into the city only a few days ago, Yixing had fallen asleep first, sitting next to Jongdae with his head resting on Jongdae's shoulder as he snored very quietly. Jongdae found it incredibly endearing.

[4:31 AM] Jongdae: so our ft may have predicted things

[4:33 AM] Baekhyun: stfu nO WAY

[4:33 AM] Baekhyun: YOU BETTER SPILL RN

[4:36 AM] Jongdae: why tf are u awake

[4:37 AM] Baekhyun: i hav two babies and a horny husband idk what a sleep schedule is

[4:37 AM] Jongdae: i didnt need to know the husband part

[4:38 AM] Baekhyun: stop stalling tELL ME ABT YIXING

[4:40 AM] Jongdae: :)

[4:40 AM] Baekhyun: I hate you.

[4:42 AM] Jongdae: ily2 but seriously ill call u later to talk about it i feel like death rn

Jongdae hadn't sent Baekhyun much other than pictures of the trip to brag, but the funny text exchange made him smile brightly at his friend's energy at even this ungodly hour. He felt the buzz of another incoming text but ignored it as Yixing stirred, readjusting on Jongdae's shoulder. The other boy stayed still so Yixing didn't move and he felt his heart glow at the feeling of Yixing's touch as the boy slept.

It was with this happiness that he fell asleep.

✦✦✦

Jongdae almost felt sadness as he counted all the children coming off the bus, similarly to how he had done in the beginning of the trip. Yixing stood next to him again but Jongdae was so incredibly pleased with being able to get close to him throughout the trip.

Ellie passed him with another smile. Without her saying something, he wouldn't have chaperoned on the trip at all. he was glad he had been able to get closer to his daughter as well as meet the man who had proved himself such a good kisser.

With a final headcount completed, an action that was really about to be instinct with how much he had done it, the middle schoolers followed the two teachers inside the school for a final meeting. For the first time, neither Yixing or Jongdae were told what to do and they stood outside the school. After checking the time on his phone, he also saw that they were early in arriving, which explained the lack of cars waiting to pick up the kids.

"I didn't ask you properly yet," Yixing said and Jongdae looked up to see that he was holding his phone out, a new contact screen open and held out clearly for him. Jongdae laughed as he realized they hadn't even gotten each other's numbers. Their chaperone duties had kept them close enough throughout the days to need it.

Jongdae filled it out and handed it back to Yixing, doing the same thing with Jongdae's phone as well. Jongdae felt even more happiness flood his system as he realized now there would definitely be more of Yixing for him in the future with his number secured in his phone.

"Text me, eventually, alright? I plan to take you out soon," Yixing said and Jongdae almost choked on air at the line. His future certainly was looking up as he imagined dates with Yixing.

It was with a dumb grin on his face that Yixing swept him into a final kiss, cupping Jongdae's face with his hands as he kissed him softly, letting the other boy melt in the kiss. They pulled away seconds later but Jongdae's heart felt full for the first time in years at the prospect of Yixing and dating.

They dropped their hands from each other as the school doors opened, the kids having been dismissed as they walked out with their suitcases from the trip and phones in hand, most likely calling parents. Yixing spotted his own son and walked over to stand next to him, giving Jongdae one more look. He made a gesture with his hand that looked like a phone, holding it up to his ear like he was saying 'call me', and Jongdae couldn't lie and say that he didn't blush as he nodded.

"You look particularly happy," Ellie said evilly as they got in the car, Jongdae turning on the engine and getting ready to drive for the first time since they had left. He began pulling out of the parking space as he scolded his daughter for the implication.

"I did get his number," Jongdae finally confided after he looked back at Ellie, who still had an expectant look in her eyes. She cheered and Jongdae blushed again.

"So we'll be seeing more of him, then?" She asked and Jongdae nodded as they turned down the road. Jongdae was eager to finally be back at their apartment, ready to rest and recover from the action of the trip but also ready to text Yixing the second he was better. He hoped that wasn't too desperate.

"That's good, because Ben's really hot," Ellie said, shocking Jongdae to her cackles.

"You're not allowed to date, young lady!" Jongdae said, getting into protective dad mode. Ellie just laughed more.

Jongdae and Ellie teased each other the rest of the way home, both of them pleased from their trip to New York as Jongdae's heart swelled as its final memory was made through their laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! <3


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